


Secret Agent Man

by avarand



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Eventual Smut, M/M, obikin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-11-07 01:16:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11048259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avarand/pseuds/avarand
Summary: Anakin is never found on Tatooine. Obi-Wan takes on the role of Rako Hardeen. But before he can be arrested and put in a Republic cell, the crew of the Ghost interrupt things. "Rako" is now on board a ship of smugglers who moonlight as anti-slaver activists. And the Republic is more complicit than anyone ever knew. Rako isn't sure how he feels about his original mission anymore, or the Force sensitive smuggler he's bunking with.





	1. Chapter 1

The smoke filled cantina was making Obi-Wan, now Rako, nervous. It shouldn’t be taking this long. He wasn’t even trying to be discreet. The woman to his left with the long purple hair was becoming annoying as well. He was supposed to wait here for a bust led by Coruscant law enforcement and Jedi, and then be taken to a Republic prison. 

Before he could check his watch again there was commotion in the front of the establishment. There was a fight at the door, followed by a small explosion. About time. But looking up the brawl involved neither Jedi nor law enforcement. A young man had knocked the guard out, and was headed towards someone in a back booth. A young woman in...quite colorful armor and a Lasat were providing back up. The man, wearing black robes and black armor, grabbed the Zabrak in the booth by the neck and made a demand in a language Obi-Wan wasn’t familiar with. The Zabrak seemed unimpressed and waved his hands. His bodyguards were easily taken down by the Lasat and human woman. He seemed less sure of himself now. The Force signature coming off the young man in black was nearly blinding. Obi-Wan had never seen anything like it. The Zabrak muttered something and threw a data stick at the tall man. 

The trio backed off, having gotten what they’d come for. However now the law enforcement had shown up. Four officers entered the small cantina, blasters all aimed at the trio. “Trust me,” the man in the black robes said with surety. “You don’t want what we have. Just let us go peacefully and we’ll be off your little planet in no time.” Unfortunately the law enforcement agents opened fire. The woman in the group threw smoke bombs while the Lasat easily crunched the heads of two officers together. The young man tugged on the woman, causing her to miss a blaster to the torso. Then he did something Obi-Wan thought should have been impossible. He gathered the Force to him as easily as if he was pulling a blanket around his shoulders. He created a shield, and then pushed it at the law agents still shooting. They went down very quickly, joining their coworkers on the floor.

The woman was saying something into a comm “Plan B for getaway. All good.” Obi-Wan heard a small ship descend outside. Then Mace was there. Lovely. Mace came in, purple ‘saber swinging, and something in Anakin seemed to get angry at the sight. The young man in black used his environment, jumping on tables and swinging around in the chaos to get a jump on Mace, sending two heavy boots into the back of the Jedi Master’s neck and easily avoiding his next swing. Then Anakin pulled his own saber from his robes. It was orange and double ended. Mace clipped the girl with his ‘saber in his rush to get to the man, and if Obi-Wan thought the man’s Force signature was angry before, it was livid now. 

The man in black was a flurry of furious movements, perfect dodges, and deadly blows. Obi-Wan was becoming worried for Mace. The Lasat grabbed Obi-Wan by both arms and set him down on his opposite side. He clearly didn’t want to hurt anyone who didn’t need to be hurt. But the movement put him in the Zabrak’s view and made said Zabrak think he was with the trio. So now Obi-Wan was dodging and punching, trying to incapacitate the man without using the Force. Embarrassingly enough, it had been too long since he’d fought without it. The Zabrak stabbed him in the shoulder with a retractable blade, causing Obi-Wan to cry out. But Obi-Wan soon left enough fists imprints in his face to end the threat. 

The girl with the hand-painted armor was talking to him. “Are they after you too? They Zygerrians?” He nodded an affirmative, hoping it would get them to leave him alone. The Zabrak’s blade had been poisoned, he was realizing. He felt fuzzy, couldn’t see straight. 

The man in black was still fighting Mace. The Lasat rolled his eyes and thunked his fist down on Mace’s head while Anakin had him occupied. “Let’s go! We got more law comin’!” Mace slumped to the floor.

The man nodded and powered down his blade. “We have to take him” the young woman was saying. “Havug was after him too. He must know something and he’ll die if we don’t.” The man nodded tersely, knowing the didn’t have time for an argument. 

The Lasat threw Obi-Wan over his shoulder and they climbed several fire escapes before reaching a platform where small ship met them. Then Obi-Wan blacked out, grabbing loosely onto purple skin. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he woke up he was in a med bay. He quickly checked his features. Still Rako at least. A Twi’lek with eyes as green as her skin and wearing an orange flightsuit greeted him. 

“Morning, sunshine,” she said absently, checking his vitals. He was on an IV. Some kind of antidote to the poison, he supposed. “Poison’s still in your system, but mostly gone.” She continued. “That dagger was a nasty piece of work. Good thing it wasn’t coated in anything too obscure. That headache you have is gonna hang around for a few days though.” 

Obi-Rako, he was Rako, now, nodded. 

“So, what were you doing at Trueping’s two nights ago, anyway? Sabine thinks you were after the same data as us, but I’m not so sure.”

“I don’t know what you’re after,” he said, staying neutral. “But that Zabrak, Havug. Been trying to stop him for awhile.” 

“And why might that be?” The Twi’lek woman asked. 

Rako thought hard before answering. This had to go right. He remembered the man in black talking. And the girl who’d asked if they were after him too. She’d mentioned Zygerrians. That was it, the man had been speaking Zygerrian.

“He works for the Zygerrians. Slavers. Meant to kill him.” 

“Hm. So why would someone trying to kill slavers be all over the news for murdering a Jedi? And I think you’ll want to be very honest with me here. I pull this IV, and you die. Not quickly either. It would take days.” 

“I didn’t kill any Jedi, I was set up. Someone knew I was getting to close to Havug.” The woman was watching his vitals, but he was controlling them, keeping calm. 

“Okay, she finally said. "Not saying we buy your story but we're not gonna float you out an airlock just this second either. Get some rest. Pull anything funny on my ship, and you’ll immediately wish we’d left you to die.” 

He nodded, let the blackness take him again.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he woke the second time it was to the young man in black and he was holding a tray of food. The man sat down next to him, ‘saber clipped to his belt. 

“Hera tells me you’ve been busy hunting down slavers. Gotta say, I approve of that vocation.” He was young but not so young. Early twenties maybe. Impossibly blue eyes, tall, dark blonde hair kept long. “Poison’s out of your system, by the way, you should eat.” 

Rako sat up, picked at some of the food he’d been offered. 

“You know what we got from that Zabrak sleemo?” 

Rako shook his head. 

“Data for two shipments of recently enslaved populations. We’re going after them. If you have skills to contribute and you want in, we could consider taking you on for the mission.” 

“I meant to take out Havug. I’m a bounty hunter, not a freedom fighter,” he replied. One who needed to be in prison. This had all gone to hell so fast. 

“Some of us used to be the same way,” the young man replied. “But well, it’s easier to fight for something that to just survive from job to job. We can drop you off at a post somewhere though if you want. Most likely Ryloth. We’ll be there in five days.” 

Rako sat up straighter, grunting as the stitches in his shoulder were pulled.

“I can help with that.” And suddenly the young man’s hands were on his shoulder, skin touching skin, and Rako could feel the Force working through the wound, encouraging it to heal. The man massaged a bit longer with gentle pressure then removed his hands. 

“Where did you learn to do that? Were you a Jedi?” The young man laughed at that. 

“A Jedi? Me? Please. I’d rather drink engine acid than be part of their sanctimonious little club. I’m mostly self taught. I have a friend who was a padawan once, but he left the Order. Taught me some of what he knew. But if you learn to really listen, you’d be surprised at what the Force will teach you all on it’s own. Oh, I’m Anakin, by the way. Anakin Skywalker.” He extended his hand. 

“Rako Hardeen” he returned the handshake. Anakin barely suppressed a laugh. 

“What?” asked the bounty hunter. 

“Rako Hardeen,” Anakin snickered. “Is that your real name or your stripper name? Not that there’s anything wrong with sex work.” Anakin had his hands up defensively.

Rako rolled his eyes, fighting a smile. 

“But seriously. You’re welcome to eat with the crew now. You can bunk with either me or Zeb. Zeb’s the Lasat, and you risk being crushed under purple fur, or you can take the bunk with me. Sometimes I grind my teeth. So pick your poison. Until then you can look around the ship. She’s not much but she’s home. There’s a communal room if you feel like reading or watching a crap holovid. You already met Hera, our pilot. Don’t piss her off and it’s smooth sailing.” Anakin winked and Rako should not have been so unnerved at the gesture.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At dinner he met the rest of the crew. Hera, the slightly terrifying pilot, Zeb, the gruff Lasat, and Sabine, the girl with hand-painted armor and multi-colored hair. “I’m a street artist,” she’d said smiling. He also met Kanan, who seemed so familiar to him somehow. Kanan looked to be about Anakin’s age, early to mid twenties. He had green eyes and brown hair he looked to be growing out, along with a goatee. Last to sit down was Ezra. Ezra was younger than the others but not by much. Probably eighteen or nineteen standard years. He said a quick hello and tucked into his food. Sabine said Ezra was their most recent addition to the family. They’d been on Lothal when he’d helped them out and Kanan had picked up on his Force signature. 

“So the three of you aren’t Jedi, and you’re not Sith, what does that make you?” Rako asked. 

Kanan shrugged. “No faction owns the Force, much as they might pretend to. We’re just us. We practice and train, meditate, smuggle and splice, and try to make a difference where we can.” 

“Aw, no bantha steak left,” Ezra complained. 

Kanan smirked, uncovering a plate he’d set aside. “Just who do you think you’re bonded to?” He joked. Ezra kissed Kanan’s cheek and happily made quick work the bantha pieces.

Rako was shocked. Two Jedi, bonded together? It wasn’t unheard of but he’d certainly never thought to witness it first hand. 

“Don’t mind them,” Anakin said. “Newlyweds.” He rolled his eyes. 

Kanan and Ezra left dinner first heading to their bunk amidst much snickering. Zeb took up almost the entire couch in the common room, watching some holovid about ridiculously muscled protagonists and women who couldn’t identify villains even if they were twirling mustaches. Hera sat in the floor, and Anakin and Rako were pressed against each other, Zeb’s large and...somewhat rancid feet stretched over them. 

Zeb stood to head to his bunk. “Alright new guy, you bunking with me or Skywalker?”

“I think Skywalker’s feet smell less, so I’ll bunk with him, thanks,” Rako said smiling. Zeb grunted and headed off. 

“You’re on pilot duty in the morning, Anakin. Don’t be late or I’ll dump ice over you again.” Hera said in a voice that indicated she'd done as much before. 

“Aye-aye Cap’n.” Anakin saluted. 

“Come on, I’ll show you your extremely humble quarters,” Anakin said. 

Rako followed him through twists and turns of the ship, making a mental map. 

Finally they arrived at a hatch with a picture of skull with crossed lightsabers behind it. 

“Sabine’s work?” Rako asked, arching an eyebrow. 

“Of course,” Anakin smiled. Rako didn’t think smugglers should smile like that. 

They stepped down into a small room. One bunk was elevated with all kinds of mechanical crap stored under it, the other was on the floor, also covered in mechanical crap. 

“Sorry,” Anakin said flushing a bit. He used the Force to sweep the mess off the extra bed, trying to give the new guy some floor space too. “Fresher’s over there, obviously”, he pointed to the back corner. "That closet has clean towels and some spare clothes if you need ‘em.” Anakin climbed onto his bunk. 

“Why are you doing this? Taking me in when you don’t know me?” Rako asked. 

“You were trying to do a good thing, stopping Havug. You shouldn’t go to jail or be killed for that. Doesn’t surprise me that the Republic would try and frame you like that either.”

“How do you mean?”

“Getting too close to the Zygerrian's primary commodity? The Republic wouldn’t stand for that. Too many senators have too much Zygerrian coin in their pockets for the Republic to ever really do anything about slavery. You wouldn’t be the first person they tried to frame.” 

“But hasn’t the Senate spent resources on trying to bring Zygerria to the Republic?”

“Of course they have. But Zygerria wouldn’t be an empire without slaves. I’m sure a few Senators mean what they say, but you should see some of the data we’ve found. Plenty of Senators are slavers, or are happy to turn a blind eye to it if it benefits them.” 

“And what about you?” Rako ventured. “Why is this your calling?”

Anakin hung halfway off his elevated bunk and extended his left wrist, pushing the sleeve back. Rako came closer to look, and his breath stopped short at seeing the deep brand of an X with three dots to one side. 

“Yup. Former slave.” He sat back up on his bunk, head nearly hitting the ceiling. “I was born to it, on Tatooine. They killed my mother in front me in a deal gone bad. Supposedly we were ‘under the protection of the Republic.’ But that far out...no one protects people out there. I was twelve when she was murdered, along with my owner. New owner thought I was young enough to still be trained as a pleasure slave. I ran as fast as I could. Hera was trying to get some mechanical work done nearby with Kanan and Zeb. Kanan knew what I was running from the second he saw me. They paid my fee, with some intimidation from Zeb, freed me, and I’ve been with them ever since. And it’s not all we do, the anti-slave work. We like to put thorns in the paws of the Separatists or Republic as it suits us. Work that pays well let’s us do this kind of thing for free.” 

“Smugglers with hearts of gold,” Rako smiled. 

“Something like that,” Anakin said. “Anyway, best get some sleep. Hera really will dump ice water on me if I’m not awake for my piloting shift. ‘Night.” 

Rako grunted an affirmative, and tried to sleep. This had to be one of the strangest things that had ever happened to him. A group of half-trained Force users taking smuggling jobs and going after slavers? And the Republic framing people who got too close to the Zygerrian slavers? His mission had been to intercept a kidnapping plot of the Chancellor. If what he’d learned was true, he may now have a very different mission.


	2. Chapter 2

Rako woke late, underestimating how much the poison had taken out of him. He went to the pilot’s quarters to ask Anakin about caf. Anakin directed him to the makeshift kitchen. It had a caf machine and a microwave. That was about all they needed. 

He ran into Sabine there. “Morning,” she said amicably. 

“Um, hi.” He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to play “hardened Jedi killer” with this crew. 

“So we dropping you off at Ryloth?” She asked, pushing a lock of orange and purple hair behind her ear. 

“Yeah, best if I lay low for a bit.” There. That sounded gruff.

“Mm. Being framed by the Republic is rough. We know that all too well. I know you have this whole “I’m a tattooed badass bounty hunter and I work alone” vibe, but we could help you. Wouldn’t be the first time we hid an innocent person from them”

“When else?” His curiosity was peaked.

“About a year ago. There was a Senator from Mandalore visiting Felucia, and we happened to be there. An attempt was made on her life. We were...liberating some of the goods her party was traveling with. But two of us saw her murder. It was Separatists. But too many Senators had lost confidence. Probably angry at their neutrality. And the Republic framed one of their own. They wanted the Mandalorian warriors on their side, so they set the guy up. Since the Warriors had been exiled, they saw a strike against Mandalore as a victory for them. So the Republic got their warriors and an easy claim on the planet. They were going to execute the guy . We set him up with a new ID.” 

“The Republic would manipulate planets that wished to stay neutral like that, not caring who died?”

“Uh, hello, you don’t exactly exist in Coruscant's inner social circles. You know the drill. The wars go on and the people will back whoever they think will ensure the next meal, but no one ever does. Tale as old as time. Your caf is ready.” 

“I mostly just take jobs, execute, get paid, and move on. Politics were never my thing.” Rako said evenly.

“It’s funny how people can ignore politics until they’re starving, or their families get sick. Not saying we’re angels, but we do what we can.” Sabine walked off. Zeb entered, grunting briefly before getting his own caf. 

Rako made his way to the pilot’s cabin. He took a seat next to Anakin. “All of you really believe in this, huh?”

Anakin smiled. “We’ve all seen loss. The tolls the war takes. So we try and bring a little peace to people. Sometimes we interrupt slavers, sometimes we drop off medical supplies. And sometimes we take gigs because we gotta eat.” 

“And the Force? There are three of you and you just...train yourselves?”

“Yep. I mean a lot of our training has been surviving missions. But we’ve found old Jedi writings, taught ourselves through trial and error, helped each other along the way. And like I said, we listen. Meditation is one thing. A thing I’m not actually a fan of. But becoming a vessel and really listening, it’s like nothing else.”

Rako was shocked. Becoming a Force vessel was something that not even most Masters could do. For someone self taught? Anakin must be powerful indeed. 

“And I take it you don’t like Jedi?" Rako asked. 

Anakin’s face turned into a dark scowl. “A Jedi killed my mother. They think they’re diplomats and protectors, but usually they just appear, swing their blades, and innocent people die. Then they say it was ‘the will of the Force’. As though any of the the Jedi Council leave their comfy tower for missions. They work for the Republic, not the people. I mean I’ve never seen a Jedi drop vaccines on an Outer Rim planet dealing with plague.” 

“They do sound like cowards when you put it like that,” Rako said.

“So my turn. What’s with the facial tattoos? Not that they don’t work for you, because they do.” Anakin winked. 

Obi-Wan reminded himself that bounty hunters didn’t blush. “I was born on Kiffu. It’s a rite of passage for both humans and Kiffar in my tribe to take their marks.”

“What does it mean?” Anakin probed. 

“It means loyalty and valor.”

Anakin gave him a long look. “It suits you.” 

Rako thought he couldn’t get to Ryloth fast enough. Undercover Jedi or no, nothing could have ever prepared him for Anakin Skywalker. A young man with the strongest Force signature he’d ever seen, who hated the Jedi, was self taught in the Force, and spent his time trying to help Outer Rim worlds. Not to mention the way his shaggy dark blonde hair looked perfectly ruffled all the time and the scar that crossed his eye was just... And his blue eyes, sparkling with a kind of life that seemed so passionate. Yeah, Rako had to leave as soon as possible.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was mid morning of Rako’s second day on the ship, which he’d learned was called Ghost. Three and a half days and he’d be on Ryloth where he could find some way to contact the Order. No way could he do it from the Ghost. Not with three mechanical and tech savvy crew members. And an oddly sassy and suspicious astromech. 

He was sitting in the mess hall, cleaning his specialized blaster. He was surprised that he didn’t mind the present company. Zeb was gruff and sarcastic, but clearly cared about his people. Hera was intelligent, resourceful, and still a bit scary. Ezra seemed to have more happy-go-lucky charm about him than anyone from Lothal should, but it balanced with Kanan’s gruff exterior, which melted as soon as he was within five feet of his husband. 

Kanan sat down next to him, unwrapping a ration bar. “Sorry about the pseudo kidnapping. But we were in a bind.”

“No harm done,” Rako replied, inspecting a blaster part. “You’ve had training though, haven’t you?” The way Jarrus moved spoke of ‘saber training. “I’ve seen enough Jedi in action to know their forms.”

Kanan looked down. “Yes. I was a padawan in the Order once. My name wasn’t always Kanan, either. But clearly I left.”

“Mind if I ask why?”

Kanan sighed. “If I don’t tell you, I’m sure one of the others will. I was on a mission with my Master, to find an assassin. We got close. Close enough for me to be framed. They cut my braid, put me in a cell. I was nearly executed by the time my Master found the real killer and was able to prove that I was innocent. When they offered to take me back on, I couldn’t. The Order that had raised me, sent me out on deadly missions, asked me to fight in their war, didn’t trust me. They had been prepared to kill me. And by that time I’d done enough digging around to know that the Order wasn’t all white knights and restoring peace. I loved my Master like an older sister, but I left. I had my name changed, hired some splicers so the Order couldn’t keep tabs on me, and then I met Hera. The rest is history.”

Rako thought as he cleaned his blaster. He’d hear a story of an apprentice leaving some years ago, involving a scandal. They’d been told he’d gone dark, left for Mustafar. Billaba. Depa Billaba’s padawan. He’d be Kanan’s age now. Another deception by the Order? The name came to him. Caleb Dume. Obi-Wan had seen him around, as a youngling and padawan. Same green eyes, same strong nose and jawline. Caleb Dume had not Fallen. He’d been betrayed, and he’d left. Obi-Wan pulled his shields tight around his mind just in case. 

“Betrayal seems to be the name of the game in war,” Rako replied. “That’s why most in my line of work go it alone.” 

“Mm. I was alone for a good while. It has its comforts.” Kanan twisted the ring on his left ring finger. “But so does family.” 

“Been married long?” Rako smirked. 

“No,” Kanan said with a smile. “We found Ezra during a mission on Lothal. He was a scrawny kid, living off scraps, tripping up the Separatists where he could. The Seps had killed his parents. It was a miracle he kept himself alive as long as he did. We were on a mission to disrupt Empire communication towers on the planet. Ezra got mixed up with us, kind of like you did. But helped us out of a jam. He was hardly even aware of strong he was with the Force. But he stuck around. I trained him as best I could. Now we’re learning together. I thought he was a maybe fifteen tops when he came aboard. But after a few showers and some real meals, he looked much closer to his actual age of seventeen. I trained him, but I also tried to avoid him like the plague. He terrified me. But we got closer, with some not so subtle encouragement from Hera and Sabine. And we married six months ago.” 

The story made Rako uncomfortable. He’d spent all day avoiding Anakin for similar reasons. 

“And what about Skywalker?” Rako asked. 

Kanan huffed. “Well, I guess it’s family story night. Skywalker found us. We were after a particular slaver on Tatooine. A Hutt. He was into some of the worst kinds of slavery out there. We were collecting intel but he had a meeting with the sleemo. I could feel his Force signature. He was so angry and scared, literally running towards the hangar where we were docked for repairs. This gangly kid running for his life. Ezra approached him first. Said we had a plan to take the down not just the Hutt, but his whole operation. And if he waited, we could do way more damage. We didn’t even have a plan,” Kanan laughed. “But Ezra knew he couldn’t leave that kid alone, not with what he was facing. So we improvised. Set things in motion. Anakin’s ship was destroyed by the Hutt’s cronies, but we did kill the Hutt and five of his top men. Freed about a hundred people in the process, got them safe passage to a major city.” Kanan threw his ration wrapper into the trash. 

“So you’re all like, Robin Hood?” Rako asked, eyebrow arched. 

Kanan laughed again. “Sometimes. Don’t get us wrong. We’re not free of sin or any of that crap. Sometimes we take jobs we’d rather not. We kill people if we have to. We don’t have a faction, or a Code, or anyone to answer to except each other. We’re just us, trying to survive out on the rim and help a few people when we can.” 

“Got a similar speech from Sabine and Skywalker,” Rako said, blaster nearly reassembled. 

“And you don’t believe us?” Kanan smiled. 

“I do, actually. Just a bit different than the crowds I’m used to running with.” 

“Well, we’ll have you on Ryloth before too long. And you’ll get to experience one of Anakin’s infamous landings.”

“Is he a bad pilot?”

“Oh no, he’s a great pilot. Problem is, he knows it.” Kanan stood to leave just as an alarm went off. 

Hera’s voice came over the internal comm system. “We’ve been spotted. Someone with very high tech scanners pinged us. Can’t tell if they're Separatist or Republic. Everyone to stations.”

“Stations?” Rako asked. 

“Get to your bunk,” Kanan said. 

Rako complied, tucking his blaster into the holster. Anakin rushed past him to get to the co-pilot seat. Zeb was already manning the canon. Then Rako hesitated. He was The Negotiator, bounty hunter or no. 

He hid behind the wall that led to the pilot’s cabin. 

A voice came over the pilot’s comm system. “Ship Model VCX-100. You are ordered to give us your name and purpose.”

“We’ll comply when we know who’s doing the ordering,” Hera said coolly, already typing furiously so the ship’s name and log would show up differently. 

“This is Gozanti-class cruiser Vincere. You are not authorized to be in this area.” 

Rako thought. Gozanti could mean Imperial, but it cold also mean pirates. Either way, not good. 

“Last I checked, Gozanti cruisers couldn’t make demands.” Anakin replied. 

Hera shushed him. A Gozanti was a well-armed ship. Unlike their freighter with its couple of canons. 

“Sending name and cargo log,” Hera said. The log should read that they were carrying low-grade medical supplies and ration bars to outer worlds, which was true. Along with fake names for the crew. 

There were long moments of silence. 

“You’re carrying to Ryloth?”

“Yes,” Hera confirmed. 

“On whose behalf?”

They didn’t know if the ship was Imperial or not. Shit. 

Rako stepped in, took the comm. “On behalf of a wealthy benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous. We don’t ask questions, we just move cargo.” He used all his Coruscanti charm, hoping it would help. “If you won’t tell us what faction you’re working for, you can hardly ask us to do the same. We have supplies to move. Do you have an objection to us doing our job?”

Hera and Anakin looked impressed. 

“No objections, VCX-100. Move along.” 

The continued, their path pushing them closer to the Gozanti Cruiser briefly. 

No sooner had Anakin said “Nice job, bounty hunter,” than the ship shook. 

They’d been caught in the cruiser’s magnetizing beam. Shit. They were being pulled into its hangar. Sabine and Zeb appeared in full armor. 

“Ok,” Hera said. “They’re gonna board us. Zeb, you hid Chopper?” Zeb nodded. Anakin, Kanan, and Ezra were tense. Anakin’s hand already on his ‘saber. 

It took about twenty minutes for their ship to be pulled in. 

“I don’t think they’re Imperial,” Anakin said. “The hangar isn’t setup to regulation. The crewmen don’t have uniforms. We’re dealing with pirates.” 

“Pirates who are good at their job, if they have this Cruiser,” Rako added. 

“Nobody play hero until you have to,” Hera said. “The goal is to get out of here and hit hyperspace.” The hangar closed, and the crew of the Ghost all lined up along the entrance ramp. 

They received an order to open the ramp, which they did. On the hangar floor, a group of pirates, mostly Weequay armed to the teeth, were waiting. 

“Come on out now, no one’s going to hurt you,” the leader leered. Thankfully the three force users had hidden their ‘sabers in their robes, Rako noticed. 

“I’m Hondo Ohnaka,” he bowed. “And if you don’t mind, we’ll be taking a look around your little freighter. Hera and Kanan descended the ramp, standing near Hondo and his gang. “All of you out, we don’t want any accidents, do we?” Rako stepped out, followed by Anakin, Sabine, and Ezra. 

They waited as their ship, their home, Rako thought of the crew, was practically looted. A Weequay spoke to Hondo in their language after they’d taken their inventory. 

“Now, we don’t want anything personal, you understand. But those medical supplies and rations. We could sell those for a very nice price. So, you don’t give us any trouble, we take your cargo, and we let you leave with your little ship.” The Weequay whispered again. “Oh, and my friend here wants that boy.” He pointed to Ezra. 

Hera smiled a truly terrifying smile. “I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with here, but you’re not taking anything. Especially not one of our crew." Rako felt Anakin, Kanan, and Ezra straighten and prepare for a fight. 

“You really think the seven of you are going to stand against us?” He grinned and more of his men moved forward. “If you lose, we’ll take much more than than your cargo and a boy.”

“You remember the Great Slave Revolt of Tatooine? The destruction of ten smugglers’ dens on Bakura? The Dathomir Siege? That was us. So before you think you have any chance at hurting me and my crew, I suggest you reconsider.” 

Hondo laughed. “Hah! These small time smugglers think they can impress us with lies.” Then he grew serious. “Kill them all!” The pirates all drew blasters.

Anakin moved forward, using the Force to jump high and wide. He relieved two Weequay of their hands before they had a chance to shoot. Kanan and Ezra followed, flanking Anakin on either side. Hera drew her blaster and took cover. Rako noted she had a sniper attachment. Pirates on the far side of the hangar fell quickly. Zeb jumped in the fray, seeming to relish bashing heads and throwing pirates nearly across the hangar. Sabine and Hera watched the backs of the Force users, and Rako took up their role as well. In the chaos of about thirty pirates attacking, one got too close to him. He stomped on his instep, kneeing him in the face before twisting his neck and breaking it. Then he took down a pirate who was aiming for Sabine. The three men with lightsabers were doing well, but not well enough. Too many blasters and chaos. Both Kanan and Ezra seemed off focus. 

Swearing under his breath, Rako jumped in, pulling his blades out of his armor. They were large, closer to short sword size than daggers. But they were effective in combat. He wielded the two blades as one. Making deliberate blows to heads, leg muscles, hands, and necks. He spun and pivoted, holding his blades above him, moving them as a spear when needed, as a sword when called for. He lost himself in the battle. He only stopped when someone called his name. It was Anakin. He looked around. At least half the pirates were dead. Another quarter would die if they didn’t get medical help immediately. 

Hondo however, seemed fine. Coward, Rako thought. 

Hondo had his hands up, as did the remaining crew members who could both stand and put their hands up. “Ok! We apologize for interrupting your business! Please, leave, and we promise to never stop a VCX-100 model ever again!” 

They quickly re-boarded Ghost and hit hyperspace. Rako wasn’t sure what he had just done. They were pirates, yes. And he’d killed plenty of people in the war. But he’d never lost himself like that. That was not the Jedi way. Was he losing sight of his true self as Rako? 

He showered, rinsing himself of the blood and sweat, cleaned his weapons, put on a pair of simple black pants, and sat on his bunk, thinking. Soon Anakin entered and sat on the floor under his bunk.. “I know killing is never plan A, but you were kind of amazing out there. I’ve never seen anyone without the Force move like that.”

Rako hung his head. “It’s been...a long time since that’s happened. I don’t like it. I fear it. I’m not myself like that.”

“Someone once told me that you can never be unlike yourself, just that there are many yous that you can embrace or reject. But those pirates, if it makes you feel any better, were bad news. It’s not like they wanted Ezra because they sensed he’s a good mechanic.” 

Strangely that did make Rako feel better. “I just, I never lose control. I can’t as a bounty hunter. Pain, emotion, I have to push it all down to be patient and make sure the job gets done. But what I did back there, it wasn’t killing it was…”

“War. It was war.” Anakin said quietly. “Even if we’re not fighting for a political faction, we often find ourselves still at war. Against slavers, against pirates, against all kinds of scum that exists in the galaxy. It makes you feel like maybe you’ll never feel content or happy again sometimes, I know. But that’s why this crew is family. We’re each other’s light, as campy as it sounds. And thanks to us, people on Ryloth will survive a little easier. And Kanan won’t go on a rampage trying to find his husband. Trust me, if you think Hera is scary, you should see Kanan when he thinks Ezra’s in danger.”

Rako leaned back, breathing deeply. He didn’t think he was imagining Anakin ogling his chest. He had no idea why. Rako Hardeen’s face wasn’t one that anyone would call handsome. His nose looked like it had been broken a time or two. Someone as attractive as Anakin could surely do better. 

“But seriously,” Anakin continued. “If you want to stay, I’m pretty sure the vote would be unanimous. You saved Sabine, you probably saved Ezra and Kanan. They were so off their game after the threat those pirates made about Ezra. We could use someone who can negotiate under pressure and handle himself in close combat. Zeb would appreciate the backup.”

“You seem to be trying to recruit me awfully hard,” Rako smirked. Anakin blushed. 

“Things are only getting tougher out here. Plus I like you.” 

“Like me? You don’t know me, kid.” 

“I know you fought for us even though you didn’t have to. I know you take dangerous contracts to go after slavers. And I know your calm. I can feel it in the Force. When you’re just you, just relaxing, you almost emanate calm. And when you jumped into the pilot cabin? That calm turned into protection.”

Rako tried to center himself. “I thought you could only feel people who have Force Sensitivity?” 

“Usually, but some people have low sensitivity. I think you might be like that. I’ve always been good at reading emotions. Even if a totally non-Force Sensitive person is feeling a strong emotion, I can pick up on it. Sabine thinks I’m empathic. I don’t know if that’s the right word for it.” 

Rako closed his eyes. Anakin was gifted. Not just gifted. He seemed to be part of the Living Force itself in a way no one else he'd met had ever been. “You must be very strong in the Force then,” Rako said, keeping his voice even. 

“Yeah,” Anakin huffed. “Strong enough for some bastard to kill my mother and try and take me to the Temple. But that is a story for another time. If you’ll excuse me, I need a shower.” Anakin took his tunic off, hanging his ‘saber by his bed. Then he took his pants off and Rako had to look away. The young man was well muscled, tanned, had his share of scars but gods. Rako could not be thinking about Anakin like that. He wondered if it was too late to bunk with Zeb. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upstairs the next morning, Rako played a few hands of Sabacc with Sabine and Zeb. For all his muscle, Zeb could strategize. He was surprised at how easy it was to live with Ghost’s crew. 

Hera came in for a cup of caf. “Two days ‘til Ryloth, bounty hunter. Looking forward to getting back to your life?”

Rako was silent. He really didn’t know anymore. Obviously he couldn’t live out his days as Rako Hardeen, but going back to the Order no longer held as much appeal. Sabine smirked at his silence. He won the hand, but it didn't make him feel any better.


	3. Choices

Rako imagined that Mace may be having an aneurysm. Not only had their inside man disappeared with an unknown crew, he’d not been in contact in almost four days. 

He was sitting in his bunk, a day and a half from Ryloth, with no clue what to do. Part of him, a large part, very much wanted to stay with Ghost and her crew. But he also knew he couldn’t. He had obligations, another life. Hell, another face. It was his duty as a Jedi to not become attached. It was one of the hardest orders they faced. 

But he thought of Zeb giving Sabine piggy-back rides down the halls, Hera rolling her eyes at Chopper’s sarcasm, Kanan and Ezra training, pretending like they weren’t looking for reasons to touch each other. And Anakin. Gods. The young man with a blinding Force signature and a smirk that should be outlawed. 

He tried to meditate. Not to commune with the Force, but just to clear his thoughts. He heard the room door open and Anakin was in front of him. 

“Didn’t figure bounty hunters for meditating types,” he said. 

“Helps me focus, clear my head,” Rako said gruffly. 

“Mind if I join you?”

“Sure. It’s your bunk.” 

Anakin settled into the floor, assuming the same position as Rako. 

Rako tried to let thoughts go as quickly as they came. Emptying his mind. Finding his true self under the tattoos and new face. And he did. However his true self also seemed to want to stay with the Ghost. He shifted unhappily, tried to keep meditating. He tried to focus on things that meant so much to him before. Qui-Gon, his friends, Satine. However compared to Anakin, Satine paled considerably. He thought of Rex and Cody, his friends in the war. But his mind kept coming up with this new war. The war for the people whose lives were miserable under Empire or Republic. 

“Credit for your thoughts?” Anakin asked, noticing his restlessness

Rako sighed. “I’m trying to choose between too many paths. I need to leave at Ryloth. I have obligations to people. Ones I thought were important.” 

“But?” Anakin prodded

“But I find myself in an unexpected position. I like the Ghost, and her crew. And the prospect of fighting for people, not just taking jobs and doing as I’m told, it’s tempting. And I never thought it would be.” 

“Rako, what are the three things most important to you in life?”

“What?” The bounty hunter was thrown by such a question. 

“Kanan asked me that, before I joined. There’s no wrong answer. Just try.”

Rako thought hard. He tried to answer as Obi-Wan and as Rako. “Justice.” That was definitely first. He thought longer. “Truth.” Good or bad, he needed to know more about the Republic. “And loyalty.” He was surprised by the last one. But it was crucial to him. He and Qui-Gon had always been truthful and loyal to each other as Master and Padawan. He still saw the man as a father figure because of it.

Anakin nodded, smiling slightly. “So, knowing your priorities, you have to decide which path will let you live them out.” 

“That’s surprisingly wise,” Rako said.

“I’m young, not stupid.” Anakin smiled. 

“No, you’re certainly not that,” Rako agreed. 

Thirty hours he thought, until Ryloth. Then he’d have to decide. He thought his days of passionate mistakes were over, but this wasn’t passion. Not exactly. This was a serious internal inventory. 

And which path would allow him to pursue justice, truth, and loyalty?

“Anakin,” he asked quietly. “Can I ask you about your mother?” 

Anakin looked surprised, but settled. “I suppose so. We were on Tatooine, as you know. She was all I had in the world. She kept me safe, no matter what it cost her. Luckily I was always good with mechanics, so I ended up working for an owner in a parts shop. Not bad work and I didn’t get beaten nearly as much as other slaves. Some offworlders came into my shop one day. They’d had to make an emergency landing on Tatooine and needed parts as soon as possible to get back to some core planet. We agreed on a price and a timeline. I guess I never knew how to not use the Force, you know? It was as ridiculous as the idea of just not using my right hand. So I’m working on their ship, and one of the Jedi notices I’m Force Sensitive. He whips out some machine, takes a blood sample, it was weird and kinda scary. I was only eleven or twelve.” He stopped to sip some water. “Apparently some kind of blood count Force thing I had was really high. Seemed like bogus science to me, but whatever. He runs off and drags my mom over to where I was working. Starts telling her he’s going to take me to become a Jedi. I barely had an idea of what Jedi were, and he didn’t ask me. He was a big guy, I think his name was Kun. He had an apprentice, a shy kid who barely spoke. I think maybe he knew Kun was bad news. But Kun grabbed me, said I was property of the Republic, and as soon as the ship was fixed he was taking me to be trained. My mom was scared but hopeful. She wanted a better life for me. And if I could be a Jedi? She was thrilled at that part. But something about Kun put her off. The three of them got into an argument. Kun, my owner, and my mom. Kun was angry. He didn’t see why they wouldn’t just hand me over. My owner, Watto, just wanted my fee. By my mom had questions and Kun didn’t like that. I don’t have a good memory of what happened. But Watto said something in Toydarian, my mom responded in Toydarian, and Kun thought they were talking about him, not going to let me go. He shot Watto point blank. We were in a secluded area, my mom knew she’d be blamed for Watto’s death and killed. She begged Kun to take her with us. But he panicked, heard people coming, and shot her too. I don’t know how but I hurt him. I was so angry. I must have done something horrible to him in order for him to drop me. I hid out for a few days, then a guy Watto owed money to found me. Said he’d take me as payment, since I could still turn a good price as a pleasure slave. Then I ran. Right into a hangar where Hera, Zeb, and Kanan were trying to get work done.” 

“Exar Kun,” Rako said. “I remember him.”

“You do?” Anakin asked, surprised. 

“Yes. Word of his defecting from the Jedi and going Dark was all over the Core worlds for awhile. Quite a high bounty on his head, though I knew I wouldn’t have a chance against someone like that. He was a monster. He killed defenseless men, women and children all over the galaxy.”

“Was he ever stopped?”

“Yes. It took a concentrated effort of Jedi, but they stopped him.” Obi-Wan remembered. It had been Mace, Quinlan, and Aayla together who had taken him down. 

“Good,” Anakin said. “I’m glad he’s not out there hurting anyone else.” A long pause. “But what will you do?” 

Rako let out out a half-laugh. “I don’t honestly know. Sometimes I think I’m too old, too used up, to ever do anyone any real good.” He said honestly. 

“Okay, you’re no spring loth-chicken but you’re hardly some gray-haired grandfather either.” Anakin laughed. 

“I guess the shaved head and tattoos age me a bit,” Rako joked. 

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-four.”

“That’s all?” Anakin asked. “Please. Here you had me thinking you were fifty.” 

“And what about you, kid?”

“Twenty-five,” Anakin said to Rako’s disbelieving look. “Good genes, I swear,” he grinned. “But hey,” Anakin continued. “I know what it is to have a checkered past. Doesn’t mean you can’t make a new move.”

Rako sighed, leaning back on his bunk again. “Maybe you’re right.” 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were fifteen hours from Ryloth. Rako was screwed. Obi-Wan was screwed. Even if he wanted this life, they’d rightfully toss him out the second the learned he wasn’t who they thought he was.

He was sitting at the kitchen table, fidgeting with his mug. Kanan sat down opposite him. “Lot on your mind?” the pseudo-Jedi asked.

“You could say that,” Rako responded. 

“If it helps, I know a little about what you’re going through,” Kanan said quietly. 

Rako jumped. What did he mean?

“I mean, feeling things for someone younger than you, when you think they could do better?”

Rako relaxed a bit. Oh, that, fun. But he nodded anyway. 

“Anakin doesn’t open up to most people. But he likes you. I mean he really likes you. It’s one thing if you don’t feel the same and you’re honest about it. But it’s another if you lead him on only to take off at Ryloth.”

“No leading on has been done, promise,” Rako put his hands up. “I just...I don’t know how I feel. About him. About any of it.” 

Kanan nodded. “That’s fair. Just, figure it out before you hurt him. I’ve never seen him like this, all twisted up about somebody.”

“I promise, I may do questionable things, but toying with people’s emotions is not something I do.” Rako said honestly.

Kanan nodded and headed off to his and Ezra’s quarters. 

Rako was screwed. Well and truly. Less than eight hours to Ryloth. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to stay. But staying meant continuing the lie of Rako Hardeen. Leaving meant...well leaving meant leaving the only people besides Qui-Gon who he’d ever cared about. And going back to being a tool in a dubious, never-ending war. He was a fraud, either way. And he could feel Anakin’s anxiety. The young man so desperately wanted him to stay. He tortured himself with thoughts of waking up to Anakin, going on missions together, kissing in seedy cantinas and running from the law. 

He thought of the others too. Of training them, working by their sides. Being neither Republic nor Empire but something different, something free. 

And something about Anakin pulled him in. Not the Force signature, not the power, but the young man who had such great capacity for love, who wielded such fierce protection. 

Before he knew it they were approaching Ryloth, clearing for landing. 

The population was largely Twi’lek, and Rako loved seeing the faces of hope on those who greeted them. They quickly doled out medical supplies and food rations, giving extra to those who looked like they needed them. Within a few hours they were out. People were disappointed, but one freighter couldn’t supply an entire planet. 

Rako felt happy, like he’d done something worth doing. 

“So, bounty hunter,” Anakin said coolly, masking his nervousness. “Is this goodbye?” 

Rako looked at Anakin. Thought of all the things he had with Order, with the Republic, and he listened to the Force but nothing came. Gods, this decision should not be so hard. He looked at Anakin's blue eyes, glanced at the rest of the crew finishing up handing out supplies. He had a duty and there was a war. No matter how flawed his side was, he'd chosen it. Maybe he could convince the Council to take more of an interest in Outer Rim needs. And no matter how much he cared for Anakin, he couldn't abandon his men to fight and die without him. In another time, another life, maybe he'd get to be with Anakin. But with a heavy heart he knew that now was not that time. 

"I'm sorry to say it is," Rako replied. "I care about this crew and about you more than I should. But...I have obligations. Ones I can't abandon." 

"And here I thought you were Mr. Go-It-Alone," Anakin said bitterly. 

"I am, usually. But I have another mission and I couldn't forgive myself if I left good people in trouble." 

"Fine then, go. It was nice working with you." The young man spat out. And Anakin turned and walked up the Ghost's ramp, disappearing inside. Hera approached soon after. 

"I know that wasn't easy for you. And if you ever get in a bind, you know how to get in touch with us." 

"Thank you. And I am sorry." After saying goodbye to the rest of the crew, who were none too happy about Anakin being hurt, Obi-Wan made his way to the nearest cantina, watching as the Ghost rose to hit atmo. Once he found a comm system that was fairly private he contacted the Council. 

"Kenobi! Where the hell have you been?!" 

"Nice to hear from you too, Master Windu. I was...detained by some smugglers after the incident at Trueping's. However I'm alone again. I'm sure this cantina has seen my face on their feeds. Ready for pick up whenever you are." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, kind of a short chapter. But Obi-Wan/Rako did make a choice. How he navigates it from here will be different story.


	4. The Truth Comes Out

Rako was killing time at bar on Ryloth. He’d helped distribute supplies, then he’d told Anakin that he couldn’t stay. This was ridiculous. He was a Jedi Master, not some love-sick crecheling. Besides, Anakin deserved better than a lying, used up man. 

So here he was again, waiting to be picked up and detained by Republic law enforcement so he could prove himself among mercenaries and try and save the Chancellor. The Chancellor who by all accounts was likely complicit in the kinds of things that the crew of the Ghost fought against every day. How did this happen? 

Did he really want to be detained? Was this mission where he was needed, really needed now? 

Rako sighed. There wasn’t anything to do for it now. He’d contacted Mace and soon he’d be on his way to prison. He just had to make this look convincing and hope that Eval and Bane hadn't broken out on their own yet. 

Right on time he heard Republic law enforcement enter the bar he’d holed up in. They were lead by Kit Fisto who wasn’t in one the ruse. 

“Rako Hardeen!” The Nautolan was as angry as Obi-Wan had ever seen him. “You are ordered to stand down and surrender. We have this building surrounded.” 

Kit’s ‘saber was out but he wasn’t going to need it. Slowly, with his hands up, Rako stood. He was more than ready to get this part of the show over with. He was glad the Ghost and her crew should have taken off an hour ago. 

Kit powered down his ‘saber but didn’t immediately cuff Rako. Instead he drove a knee into his solar plexus and decked him in the right eye. 

“I surrendered!” Obi-Wan cried out in his new, rough voice. 

“You’re trash who got lucky and killed a man who was worth ten of you. Be thankful that’s all I did.” As Rako was cuffed he took minute to appreciate Kit’s high esteem of him. 

He was quickly maneuvered onto a small transport ship where they’d no doubt be making a straight jump to a Republic Prison. From there he had to befriend a few specific fellow lowlifes, escape, and then get involved with a plan to kill the Chancellor. Easy. 

Onboard the ship he was cuffed at the ankles and strapped into a seat. He wished that a Council member had been the one to apprehend him. It was taking all his strength to cloak his Force Signature from Kit. Their ship had just made atmo when they were pinged. Obi-Wan could hear the exchange in the tiny cockpit up ahead. 

“This is the Banshee, VCX-100 private vessel. Requesting help with atmosphere shields. Shields are malfunctioning and we can not enter atmosphere. Repeat, requesting help.” No, he knew that voice. That was Hera. What the kark was she playing at?

“Sorry, Banshee. This vessel isn’t authorized to stop for assistance. Transporting time sensitive cargo,” Kit responded. 

“Understood, but this is an emergency. Shield damage is related to failing internal atmo systems. We took damage from pirates trying to raid supplies. We’re gonna be dead in the water out here soon.” 

Rako heard Kit sigh. He never could leave someone stranded. “Alright, Banshee. Myself and a mechanic will come help. Prepare for boarding. Leave all weapons on the ground where we can see them.” Well at least Kit wasn’t taking chances that the ship was full of pirates playing wounded. 

Kit came back to check on Rako. “You so much as move and I’ll have no problem explaining to the Republic how I had to kill you for the safety of the crew.” Rako nodded but honestly he was more concerned for Kit’s safety. Hera and her crew shouldn’t give a damn about him. They were going to get themselves or Kit hurt. So as Kit got ready to board the ‘Banshee’, Rako easily undid his cuffs. If he had to he’d tell Kit what was going on and deal with the Ghost crew after he was sure no one had gotten hurt. 

The two ships connected and Rako unfastened his straps. Honestly, the reinforcements with Kit were doing a terrible job of watching their captive. As Kit and the mechanic waited for the doors linking the two ships to open, Rako sent the guard nearest him to sleep with a wave of his hand. Kit was too distracted on assessing a possible threat from the other side of the door to notice. 

Then the doors were open and Sabine was standing there in her armor, guns on the ground. Kanan and Ezra were also there and while not visibly armed, Rako didn’t doubt they had their ‘sabers on them. 

“So, um, hi…” Sabine said in a deceptively adorable voice. “We got hit and our shields were already in bad shape. We’ve been diverting power to life support systems but we can’t keep doing it much longer. I can take you to the cockpit. Our pilot is doing what she can there.” 

Kit nodded and he and the mechanic followed Sabine into the ship. Where were Anakin and Zeb though? As soon as the trio had turned the corner, Ezra and Kanan boarded the transport. Two guards started to raise objections but were quickly incapacitated by the blunt ends of lightsabers. 

“Come on,” Kanan hissed. “We gotta move fast if this is gonna work.” 

“No! You don’t understand!” Rako hissed back. 

“I understand that you’re being sent to prison for something you didn’t do. Now move!” 

Rako stood but only so he could defend Kanan and Ezra as the few other guards on the ship made themselves known. He liberated a blaster from one and knocked her out. Ezra took care of the remaining guard. 

“Look, I appreciate this but you don’t know what you’re doing!” 

“I will knock you out too if I have to.” Kanan barked. “Now go!” 

Rako held his ground. “I can’t! Get out of here before they come after you too!” 

Kanan exchanged a look with Ezra and before Rako could ask what it meant he was unconscious.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Hera saw Kanan and Ezra trying to haul an unconscious Rako to the back of the ship discreetly, she figured their plans were well and truly screwed. Thankfully Zeb showed up and single handedly hauled the man into his bunk, shutting the door before the Nautolan Jedi and his mechanic noticed. 

“Sir,” the mechanic was saying. “I’m gonna need my O2 saturation diagnostic kit for this. I can’t tell why the power isn’t distributing evenly. Be back in a minute.” The Jedi nodded and the mechanic was off. Shit. As soon as the mechanic saw that her ship was full of guards with head wounds and missing a prisoner they were all doomed. So Hera did what captains do. She made a call. Without a word she communicated with her eyes to Sabine who was in the co-pilot chair. Take the Jedi’s ‘saber on her command. Sabine’s eyes widened but Hera could tell she'd do it. 

As soon as Chopper beeped out the the mechanic was back on her ship, Hera closed the bridge doors and disengaged the ship. 

“What are you doing?!” The Jedi called out, hand going to his ‘saber which was already in Sabine’s hand. Her other hand held a blaster to the man’s head. 

“We’re saving an innocent man,” Sabine said coolly as the ship pulled out. Before Kit could engage the young woman in combat a presence at his back appeared. 

“Sit down, Jedi,” a human man spoke. “You’re not the only one with a ‘saber and I’m in a much better position to use mine. Everyone on your ship is fine. Unfortunately, you’re stuck with us for a little bit. If I didn’t like Rako so much I’d kill you myself.” 

The Jedi sat, keeping his hands up. “I assure you, Rako Hardeen doesn’t care if I live or die. By aiding him you put yourself on the Republic’s Most Wanted list.” 

“Well for that to happen the Republic would have to know who we are. And Rako isn’t who you think he is. He didn’t kill that Jedi. Now I’m gonna strap you in nice and tight. And you’re gonna be a cooperative passenger. No mind tricks, no trying to go for your ‘saber. I may not be Temple trained but I hear I’m pretty strong with the Force. I don’t want to knock you out but I will if I have to.” 

Hera was pleased to sense their passenger allowing himself to be restrained. Once Rako was up they could get this mess sorted. As it was, she prepped her ship for hyperspace.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Rako came to with a throbbing headache. And he was back in the Ghost’s medbay. How the hell...Oh right. The improvised rescue. Gods, Mace was really going to have an aneurysm now. 

“Hey, and here I thought I’d never see you again.” 

“Anakin.” Rako managed to get out. Of course it would be Anakin. 

“Ya know you could say thank you. We kind of saved you from a life of Republic prison food.” 

“I hate to tell you this, but I was never going to be in prison for long.” 

“Oh sure. Everyone thinks they can just bust out of prison like it’s some terrible holovid.” Obi-Wan hated to admit it but he’d missed that voice. However it was quite likely that the Ghost and her crew were being pursued by the Republic now. The time for lies was over. 

“No, I mean that was the plan. My name isn’t Rako Hardeen. I was set up in the murder of Obi-Wan Kenobi but I agreed to be set up. You’ve put yourselves in danger by intervening on my behalf.” 

Anakin went very still in front of him. “Excuse me?” 

Obi-Wan took an exasperated breath. “I never wanted to lie to you. But I was never supposed to get picked up by you at Trueping’s and you certainly weren’t supposed to intervene here. I’m a...Republic Operative of sorts. I was supposed to get sent to prison to infiltrate a very specific group.” 

“Right. One of the most infamous bounty hunters in the galaxy is a Republic man.” Though Anakin sounded uneasy behind his sarcasm. 

“I told you. I’m not really Rako Hardeen. This isn’t my face. It’s a temporary prosthetic that was surgically applied. The real Hardeen is in a holding cell at the Jedi Temple.” 

Anakin shook his head as though to clear it. “So you what? Just lied to all of us?!” 

“It’s not as though I had a choice! It was never my plan to end up on your ship. I got off at Ryloth and contacted my point person for pick up. How could I have predicted that you’d all take leave of your senses and rescue me?!”

“So it was all a lie. Fighting beside us, all that talk about what you wanted out of life.” 

“No. The lie was my face. The time I spent with you and your crew meant a great deal to me. It wasn’t easy for me to walk away on Ryloth but I had to. I accepted my mission long before I ever met you.” 

Anakin seemed to have deflated a bit. “Great. So we rescued a liar for no reason. And kidnapped a Jedi while we were at it.” 

“What?” 

“You were being transported by a Jedi. A Nautolan. He’s in our custody now, too.” 

“Oh gods.” Obi-Wan put his face in his hands. 

“What? Not a friend of yours?” 

“Oh he is, but he doesn’t know that I’m not actually dead or that I’m wearing Rako Hardeen’s face. And now I have to tell him. He’s going to punch me again, except this time I’ll deserve it.” 

“You’re not actually- You’re Obi-Wan Kenobi? The Great Negotiator?” 

“I am. Though I don’t feel like the Great Anything at the moment.” He sat up a bit more, determined to get things sorted out with Kit. 

“Why do you have to tell him?” Was that a hint of jealousy in Anakin’s voice? 

“One because if I don’t he’ll start looking for ways to commandeer the ship that might get your friends hurt. And two because he’s my friend and as this mission was time sensitive, there may not even be a point to it any longer. Would you take me to him?” 

Anakin nodded and turned to walk out the medbay doors, Obi-Wan following. 

“Hera, our friend wants to talk to our newest friend,” Anakin said by way of greeting. 

Obi-Wan wasn’t entirely prepared for the sight that greeted him. Kit was tied to the co-pilot’s chair with a bored-looking Sabine standing guard over him. Despite his arms bound to his sides and his legs tied from knee to ankle, he seemed to be in the middle of telling Hera a rather humorous story of the time he and Master Vos had been chased down by rancor-riding Felucians. However as soon as he saw Rako and Anakin he stopped laughing and glared. 

“Master Fisto, I can explain this,” he started. Kit was clearly surprised at being referred to by his title. 

“Explain what, you Jedi-killing piece of kark?!”

Obi-Wan put his hands up. “Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t dead.” 

“You killed him! He was my friend and you cut him down like a coward!” Kit’s rage was practically shaking the cockpit. Time to change tactics. 

“Kit. Please. Feel my Force Signature.” The Nautolan cast him a suspicious look but apparently didn’t see the harm in it. Once he did….

“Obi-Wan! Is it really you?” 

“It is. My death was faked. Only Master Yoda and Master Windu knew of the plot. I’m so sorry I caused you pain.” 

“You-This is the kind of stunt I’d expect from Vos! Not from you! What was so karking important that you faked your own death?!” 

“It may not even matter now. The important thing is that you know that these people were trying to help a man they thought was being wrongfully sent to prison. Please don’t hold that against them.” 

“Woah,” Sabine’s eyes lit up. “You’re really THE Obi-Wan Kenobi? The Jedi war hero?!” 

“I hate being called that. But yes. I already told Anakin that this isn’t my face. It’s a temporary surgical prosthesis. So if no one minds, I’ll untie Master Fisto now.” 

“Don’t worry,” Kit said, standing and shaking his bonds with help from the Force. “I was only going to stay tied up until I had a solid plan. Honestly, I’m on the Jedi Council. You really think some rope and duct tape is gonna hold me?”

“Mind contacting your friends we left floating above Ryloth?” Hera asked. “I used a fake ship ID but I’d rest easier knowing the Republic isn’t coming after us.” 

“Of course,” Kit said with a slight bow. Obi-Wan fought the urge to groan. Of course Kit would flirt seconds after being a hostage. 

Though speaking of…”Anakin, can we talk privately?” 

“Yeah, I guess we should.” And with another flourish of black robes the young man was headed towards his bunk. 

Inside, Obi-Wan took the bunk he’d slept in while traveling with the crew and Anakin sat cross-legged on his own bed. 

“I’m sorry, again, for lying to you. When I ended up here after Trueping’s I thought lying would keep you safer. I had to get somewhere where authorities could pick me up. So I left at Ryloth. I didn’t count on a rescue party.” 

“I...guess I can only be so angry for intercepting you in a mission. Twice. And I do appreciate that you didn’t want any of us to get caught in the crossfire.” 

“I still don’t want that. What the Jedi set me up to do is very dangerous.” 

“Am I allowed to know the mission?” A pout on a full grown man shouldn’t be attractive but somehow it was. 

“You already know my true identity so I don’t see why not. I was supposed to be placed in a specific prison. One that is also holding a Duros named Cad Bane and a Phindian named Moralo Eval.” Anakin whistled at that, appreciated just how infamous those killers were. “Yes, they both have a knack for escaping from high security facilities. As Rako Hardeen I was supposed to help them, then gather intel and eventually subvert an assassination plan they concocted with a third party. However I’ve been delayed for over a week. It’s possible I’ve missed my window by now.” 

“Wow.” 

“Yes, it was all quite complicated and sensitive.” 

“Not that, I mean only two other people knew what was really going on. Your friends are out there grieving you. I know Jedi don’t have parents but friends, mentors, padawans? They must be really hurting. What would you gain through this plan that you couldn’t get by confronting the third party?” 

“Proof. Said third party is a man of great importance. But you’re right. I suppose I didn’t consider how those I cared for would react. It was simply what my position required of me. Jedi are not raised to consider their feelings first or to make close interpersonal connections. So I didn’t even think about Kit or the few other friends I have reacting to my death. I suppose that’s a bit monstrous in its own way.” 

“I’ll say. The people on this ship are my family. If something happened to one of them it would be like losing a limb.” 

“You are fortunate to have each other.” 

“Yeah. So what are you gonna do now?” 

“I don’t know. I should contact the Council soon, I suppose.” 

"Or you could stick around." 

“After all I’ve put you through you’d want me around?” 

Anakin feigned indifference. “Just saying, you come in handy in a fight. Oh, and Sabine won’t mention it but she totally has a crush on The Great Negotiator. But there’s more than one way to do good in the universe. And you don’t have to do it alone.” 

“I would have to-”

A voice broke into the room over the comm. “We’re about to start getting shot at up here, if anyone feels like manning the cannons,” Hera’s voice broke through their conversation. 

Anakin spoke into his wrist comm. “Republic?” He was already on the floor. 

“Not Republic. Separatists. They didn’t even initiate contact. Just saw us and started shooting.” 

“On my way to starboard canon,” Anakin said, rushing off. 

Why would Separatists start shooting with no provocation?

Obi-Wan ran to the cockpit to see what was happening. 

“Well, they did send us a message,” Hera said while dodging fire. Kit was busy rerouting excess power to shields. 

“And?” Obi-Wan provoked. 

“They want Rako Hardeen turned over.” 

“How the hell does a Separatist ship know I’m on board?”

“No clue. But don’t worry. We didn’t go to all this trouble to hand you over now.” 

The Separatists had two ships, both of them heavy duty. These weren’t bored pirates. Obi-Wan had a very bad feeling about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally updated! I just wasn't happy with the arc of the story as it was so I gutted some chapters. Obi-Wan's conversion away from the Order was a little too easy for my liking so hoping to fix that. Next chapter will be in a couple days, good lord willin' and the creeks don't rise. 
> 
> Also for anyone who is interested I now take commissions. Not just for Obikin but for just about any ship as long as it's not creepy/abusive/incestuous and I can acquire source material if I'm not already familiar with it.


	5. Decisions

“You should hand me over.” Obi-Wan said evenly.

“Excuse me?” Hera asked, arching an eyebrow. 

“No way!” Anakin immediately interjected.

“I am not handing a fellow Jedi over to the Separatists!” At least Kit wasn’t angry enough to do that, he supposed.

Obi-Wan fought the urge to yell at them all. “Look, it’s me they want. The Ghost can’t handle two ships of that caliber. If they haven’t already figured out this ship’s real ID information they will soon.” 

“Rako-Obi-Wan, I don’t care what your name is. That’s not how we do things,” Anakin said.

“There is no point in any of your getting hurt when they just want me.” Obi-Wan sighed. 

“What if we could maneuver between them and hyperjump?” Kit offered. Since when was his friend on The Ghost’s side? Right...probably after Obi-Wan had lied about being dead.

“That would take some extremely delicate piloting or we’d jump into one of them and be dead,” Hera said in a voice that sounded only slightly condescending which meant she was considering it.

“I could try. I’m not a half bad pilot,” Kit replied. 

“On my ship? I am the only one who takes those kinds of risks with my baby,” Hera grinned, already prepping for the stunt. “You can take the co-pilot seat though. Everyone strap in!” 

Zeb grumbled but hurried to his station as did the rest. 

Obi-Wan wanted to argue but he seemed outnumbered. He prepared himself for the jump and prayed to the Force that their ID hadn’t been decrypted. 

Hera pushed The Ghost towards one of the two Separatist ships, looking for all intents like they were going to ram it. She had to get this just right or they would all be dead very quickly. 

“Banshee, what are you doing?” Came over the comm system as The Ghost too close to the ship to be shot by its major cannon. 

“Don’t pull up yet,” Kit murmured. 

“Don’t tell me how to fly my ship, Jedi,” Hera shot back.  
“Banshee, we WILL fire if you don’t stop!”

Hera accelerated and angled their ship away from the Separatist cruise and at the very narrow space between the two ships that widened out into a pathway that would allow a jump. Assuming they could make it. The Ghost continued to gain speed as laser fire went past the cockpit’s field of vision.

“Everyone,” Hera said over The Ghost’s internal lines. “We’re about to jump. Strap in. Less than thirty seconds.” 

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, hating feeling helpless. He grabbed onto a railing in the hallway outside the pilot’s cabin and braced himself. He felt Anakin’s Force presence reach out for him and he embraced the young man’s signature in the Force. If these were his last moments, well, out of all current possible options he’d want to at least metaphorically be holding Anakin’s hand. 

One last major acceleration and Obi-Wan held his breath. The sound of something scraping the flank of the ship. Oh no. And then- a pull. And the white lines of hyperspace were streaming past them. They’d made it! Dear gods they’d made the jump. There was a moment of stunned silence from the pilot’s cabin and then the sounds of celebration. 

“Yes! Hera, that was amazing!” Sabine shouted out. 

“We’re not dead!” Zeb called from down the hallway. Other calls from the comms around the ship echoed in shared relief. Anakin came running from one of the cannon pits, grinning. Obi-Wan assumed he was going to congratulate Hera but instead he stopped right in front of him. 

“We’re both still alive,” he said, not grinning any longer but smirking. 

“That we are,” he seemed to be unable to resist smiling back. And then unexpectedly Anakin hugged him. And-well. They were celebrating survival, after all. He embraced the younger man, only somewhat embarrassed to realize their Force signatures still entwined. 

“Ahem.” 

Obi-Wan looked up to see Kit standing there and flushed bright red, pulling back from Anakin physically and in the Force. 

“Obi-Wan, you faked your death and instead of ending up in prison you’re what? Running away with a smuggler?” 

“I am- I mean to say-” he looked at Anakin who only raised an eyebrow. What the hell was he doing anyway? 

“Hey, why is the captive free?!” 

Thank the Force. Ezra was trotting towards them, obviously concerned about why the Jedi whose presence he’d snuck by to get Rako on the ship was casually standing around. 

“Rako isn’t Rako. He’s really General Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is a friend of his,” Sabine said, grinning around the absurdity of the statement coming out of her mouth. 

“What?!” 

“Guys, we have bigger problems. We took some damage to the starboard flank. We need to find a place to land so Anakin and I can assess it. Then we have our actual jobs to attend to.” 

“You have a mission to get to?” Obi-Wan asked, moving towards the cockpit again. 

“We do. Though I hope you’ll at least do us the courtesy of not interfering with it seeing as you’re both Republic agents.” 

Oh, right. This was a serious job. The intel on slavers they’d gotten from Havug. In would entail something on the Rim most likely. 

“Gorno is nearby,” Kit offered diplomatically. “The Soril Station doesn’t ask questions if you need a bit of anonymity. I know from experience. And I promise, as long as you’re not harming anyone your business is yours to conduct.” 

“I promise, this crew does the opposite of harming people,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Still mad at you for dying and not tell me,” Kit replied. “But good to know.” 

“Soril Station, it is,” Hera agreed. “Now all of you get somewhere that isn’t my pilot’s cabin. Rako, I’m sure the rest of the crew would love to know who we actually have on board.” Well that was a clear dismissal. 

He sheepishly made his way to the common area.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So you’re telling me you’re actually one of the Republic’s most lauded Generals, posing as an assassin for an undercover mission.” Kanan crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Yes.”

“Right. And as a powerful Jedi, you helped us distribute supplies we liberated from corrupt Republic officials through less than legal channels after fighting off pirates with us, who you helped us take down in an extremely less than legal manner.”

Huh. That did make him sound like he was either lying or doing a piss poor job of focusing on his own mission.

“Yes. Though I understand your reluctance.” 

“Oh I’m reluctant. I’m also angry. I trusted you around my crew. Around my family!” 

Obi-Wan put his hands up to explain but Ezra beat him to it. 

“Kanan. No matter who Rako or Obi-Wan is, he still saved us against those pirates. You know we didn’t have that situation controlled. And if we picked him up during a mission, that’s not his fault. Maybe it’s like you’re always saying. It’s the will of the Force.” 

“I suddenly regret telling you that all the time now, hearing how it sounds,” Kanan grumbled. 

“Actually, why are there three non-Jedi on this vessel using the Force and wielding lightsabers?” Kit asked from his seat at the small table. 

Kanan looked down at the table but then drew his shoulders up. “The Jedi Order doesn’t own the Force,” he stated defensively. 

“Of course we don’t,” Kit countered. “But kyber crystals tend to be hard to come by unless a person knows where to look.” 

“I came by mine when Master Yoda took a group of younglings in my age group to get ours,” Kanan ground out. 

Kit gasped. “Master Yoda? Then-Caleb. Caleb Dume. Depa Bilaba’s Padawan.” 

“It’s Kanan now. But yes.” 

“I was barely a Knight myself then but I remember. Depa never took another Padawan. She was heartbroken.” 

“Well, so was I. The Order who raised me was more willing to execute me than to trust me.” 

“No, I don’t think anyone could blame you for leaving,” Kit said, nodding sadly. “That was a great failing of the Order and the Council.” 

“Okay, Jedi stuff aside, are you staying with us?” Sabine asked, huffing impatiently and kicking her feet up on the table. “I mean we hijacked a Republic transport vessel and took damage from pirates for someone who we didn’t know wasn’t telling us the truth about who he was. Are you the guy who fought pirates and was thinking about teaming up with us because he saw the injustice of the Republic? Or are you a Jedi of that Republic?” 

“Yeah,” Zeb chimed in. “I mean, we knew you might leave at Ryloth, but we thought you were Rako.” 

“Hey, he doesn’t have to stay because we stole him from the Republic,” Ezra said. “He isn’t a captive!”

Chopper beeped and really, Obi-Wan didn’t need that kind of cynicism right now. 

“Hey, maybe we should let him speak for himself,” Anakin said, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the crowd. 

And suddenly several sets of eyes and one astromech droid were all looking at him very intently. Well, he did deserve this. Everyone had a right to know. Kit needed to know if his friend, colleague, and brother-in-arms was still those things. And the crew needed to know if he was leaving them for good. Meaning Obi-Wan needed to make this decision now. He didn’t want to but he had to. Everything in him wanted him to stay. He could do so much good with the crew in places the Order couldn’t be bothered to touch. And Anakin. He’d never felt so immediately attracted to anyone. Not that it was just attraction. The Force practically sang with how right it was when their signatures were close to each other. But would Anakin want him that way in a year or ten? And if he didn’t where would it leave Obi-Wan? He thought of his life with the Order in ten years. He’d have friends, yes. But not this kind of camaraderie, he realized. Not...family. 

He was about to open his mouth when Anakin said something else first. 

“Stay. I mean, I think you should stay. I just...I don’t know what you’re thinking or what it’s like to be a Jedi. But you fit here. We fit, I think.” Anakin leaned in closer to him, which was something given the small table they were all crowded around. “I didn’t say it before and I should have. Please, stay.” 

Obi-Wan was stunned. He hadn’t expected Anakin to ever just come out and ask something like that. Not after how hurt he’d been when he’d left on Ryloth only hours ago. Clearly he didn’t realize how deeply he’d affected Anakin. Looking into those blue eyes he could swear he saw the future. His future. He felt a tug from the Force itself.

“I-Yes. I’ll stay. If um, everyone is alright with that.” 

Anakin pressed their foreheads together and Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He could barely believe that he’d said ‘yes’, but it felt right. This felt right. 

“Of course we’re alright with it!” Ezra beamed. Obi-Wan pulled back, not wanting to make a spectacle of him and Anakin. 

Kit huffed and shook his head, tresses swaying with the movement. 

“You aren’t angry?”

“Angry? I’m not even surprised. I grew up with you, remember? I know you beyond your ‘perfect General Jedi’ reputation. I know the kid who had enough passion and temper to shout down his own Master from time to time. And I know that Master Jinn was enough of a maverick to have passed some of that down to you.” 

“You were angry with me for not knowing about the Rako Hardeen plan but not this?” Obi-Wan asked incredulously. 

“You let me think you were dead! This is different. This is you making a decision for your own future. And maybe I had my money on Vos leaving before you, but I suspected you might. You’ve always been more loyal to people than to concepts like the Order. Since you became a Knight you haven’t had a solid tie to the Order. Just being good at something wasn’t going to be a reason for you to stay in this life.” 

Obi-Wan felt humbled by how well his friend knew him. How intuitive he was to his motivations.

“Thank you.” He said quietly. 

“Wait, so how are you gonna reset your face?” Sabine asked. 

Good question. “Soril Station should have a medical facility. I need a Medi-Bot with DNA replication ability to sample my tissue then return my features to normal. Though I’m not looking forward to waiting for my hair to grow back out.” 

“That’s well and good, but we have bigger problems,” Kit pointed out. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Somehow Separatists knew that I was on this ship. That Rako Hardeen is, anyway. How in the Force would they know?”

“Well there was a warrant out,” Kanan suggested. “It’s possible someone saw the pickup on Ryloth and then saw us...liberate the cargo. But I don’t know how they’d track us after we hit hyperspace.” 

“No way we have a tracker on the ship with a Force using mechanic around,” Zeb threw out, gesturing towards Anakin. 

Anakin nodded. “No one’s ever gotten one on us without me knowing immediately, usually Ezra and Kanan, too.” 

Sabine jumped in. “They could have been scanning our coordinates if they knew they wanted to track us. Or they didn’t follow us and someone sent our ship ID, at least the fake one we use, out. I mean they’re Separatists so if two ships were after us it’s not like they’d be the only two who would know.” 

“That makes sense,” Kit nodded. “So most likely scenario is that this ship was spotted by Seppies meaning they want Rako. So the question is why. Why would the Separatists want a bounty hunter who killed a Jedi, other than the obvious? If they wanted to recruit him they wouldn’t have asked for him like he was a prisoner.” 

Something dawned on Obi-Wan. It was impossible but it had to be true. “They know. Somehow a higher up knows that something was off with Hardeen. I don’t know how I know but...call it an instinct. The job didn’t go right and Hardeen took too long to get arrested. He-I was seen hanging out in a bar and getting taken into custody after escaping on Coruscant. Two escapes, two interventions by smugglers. If someone noticed that then they might wonder why Hardeen isn’t capitalizing on his success like other bounty hunters would be. They don’t have reputations for modesty.” 

“Still, would that really be enough to raise Separatist hackles?” Anakin questioned. 

Obi-Wan shook his head. “I don’t know. But something about this isn’t right.” 

“To be fair, it was a terrible plan from the beginning,” Kit shrugged. 

Obi-Wan wanted to reply indignantly but couldn’t. Honestly, it was all a bit convoluted. And now he was being hunted. He turned to Anakin. 

“I want to stay with you, on The Ghost. But if I’m being hunted and the crew isn’t comfortable with it, I’ll understand.” 

“No way. We’ve dealt with worse than some Separatist interest. You don’t get to back out that easily,” Anakin said immediately. 

“He’s right,” Kanan agreed with a bit of reluctance. “We wouldn’t take you in only to throw you out. Even if we didn’t know who you really were. But it’s gonna be a few hours until Soril Station. I am going to go get some rest while I can. Force only knows what the future has in store for us.” 

With that, the man pushed back from the table and went down the corridor towards his bunk. Zeb made his exit as well and Sabine was right behind him. Despite being sought by the Separatists, Obi-Wan wanted to sigh with relief. He’d chosen and that decision no longer weighed on him. 

“Rest doesn’t sound so bad. Is it still alright if use the bed in your bunk?” He asked Anakin. 

“Of course it is. Come on.” 

Once in the privacy of Ana-their bunk they embraced again. This time fully. Obi-Wan wound one arm around the man’s waist and another around his shoulders, fingers playing with the hair that came just short of underneath his ears. He was really staying and they were really alone. Anakin’s chin was resting on the top of his head and it was perfect. 

After several long minutes Anakin pulled back. “I really want to kiss you.” 

“This isn’t my face.” 

“What if I promise to keep my eyes closed?” 

Obi-Wan huffed a laugh at that. 

“I suppose if you promise.” 

And then they were kissing. It was...awkward to kiss while wearing someone else’s features. Likely compounded the awkwardness of not having kissed very many people at all. But it was still nice. Warm lips pressed against his, a tongue applying a bare amount of pressure and then of its own accord his mouth was opening. Stars, Anakin was good at this. He slid his tongue against the younger man’s, gripping his waist more tightly. 

He could feel heat building up in himself and he had to pull back. “As much as I’d like to do more, I do insist on having my own face for it,” He murmured against the skin of Anakin’s neck, leaning into the embrace again. 

“Fair enough. You are so cuddling with me for a nap, though.” 

“ If you twist my arm like that how can I resist?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but I think they need a nice moment before shit gets crazy again. Also am I the only one who found Kit Fisto oddly attractive? Yeah, ok, I'll go sit over there, then.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I need to be working on The Middle Path. I just feel l like I've hit a wall with it. This idea hit me today and I had to go for it. This chapter is a bit short but subsequent ones will be longer. Also I'm sorta addicted to writing fics where the Republic is not the heroic side. Comments, please!


End file.
